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Soul Train
For the moment, only content deleted from Wikipedia...Which is more than enough for an article of its own. Deletion of lists and such is quite normal, but repeated deletions of details such as Content points to a race bias. ]] Content (WP) on Soul Train]] Within the structure of the program, there were two enduring elements. The first was the popular "Soul Train Line", in which all the dancers form two lines with a space in the middle for dancers to strut down and dance in consecutive order. Originally, this consisted of a couple - with men on one side and women on the other. The other was the "Soul Train Scramble Board", where two dancers were given 60 seconds to unscramble a set of letters which form the name of that show's performer or a notable person in African-American history. In describing the person's renown, the host concluded their description with the phrase "...whose name you should know". If they completely unscrambled the name of the person within the time limit, they won a supply of Johnson Products Company products, including Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen; later years had the members receive products by The Coca-Cola Company, including Coca-Cola Classic and Sprite. The game was generally rigged to ensure that almost everybody could win fairly easily (Cornelius has stated he did so to avoid any potential embarrassment of the show as a whole), but it has rarely happened where the members did not completely unscramble the name of the person within the time limit; one known occurrence happened on the June 1, 1974 episode, where two dancers had trouble unscrambling the name, which was "Bill Withers", and they did not completely answer within the time limit. In 1987, Soul Train launched the Soul Train Music Awards, which honors the top performances in R&B, hip hop, and gospel music (and, in its earlier years, jazz music) from the previous year. Soul Train later created two additional annual specials: The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, first airing in 1995, celebrated top achievements by female performers; and the Soul Train Christmas Starfest, which premiered in 1998, featured holiday music performed by a variety of R&B and gospel artists. Award categories for the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards presented to female recipients included, *R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Solo *Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Group or Duo *R&B/Soul Song of the Year *Best R&B/Soul Single, Solo *Best R&B/Soul Single, Group or Duo *Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist *Best Jazz Album *Best Gospel Album *Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video Specials awards given were The Aretha Franklin Award for Entertainer of the Year, and The Lena Horne Award for Outstanding Career Achievements''http://www.mtv.com/news/517198/lauryn-hill-tlc-top-lady-of-soul-awards/ In-studio group of dancers In addition, there is an in-studio group of dancers who dance along to the music as it is being performed. (Rosie Perez, Carmen Electra, Nick Cannon, Jody Watley, singer Jermaine Stewart, singer/producer Pebbles, and National Football League|NFL greats Walter Payton and Fred Williamson all got noticed dancing on the program over the years) Theme music "Hot Potatoes This show had a variety of theme songs throughout its run. The very first one used was "Hot Potatoes" by King Curtis. The opening sequence features a cartoon train going down a track on a yellow background. This was seen in the Spike Lee movie ''Crooklyn, where the Carmichael kids watch the show on TV. Along with the theme songs, the Soul Train set itself went through major changes: The first set was train station-styled, complete with train tracks with various cities on the tracks itself, railroad crossing signs and the large title letters against the wall of the studio. This was used for the first two seasons of Soul Train. "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" Starting with the 9th episode of the third season, the show's theme had changed to the popular TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) by MFSB. with vocals by the Three Degrees. The opening sequence had the animated train chugging around a city blowing funky fire out from its smokestacks and go through a tunnel into the set where the dancers dance to the theme. The set this time has the large title on the stage, but with the train tracks attached to each word. "Soul Train '75" With the 1975-1976 season (Season 5), Soul Train instituted a new theme: "Soul Train '75" by The Soul Train Gang. The opening sequence has the train chugging towards the screen, then riding down the countryside blowing colorful confetti from the smokestacks, then goes through a tunnel into a city before it goes into the studio tunnel with the dancers. This opening was used only for this season. "Soul Train '76" For Season 6, Soul Train once again had a new theme: "Soul Train '76" by The Soul Train Gang. The opening sequence has the train that will be used for the next few seasons, the train chugging with little puffs of colored smoke coming from the smokestack. The Earth is spinning, and then the animated train comes out from behind it and chugs down towards the city. The set has changed from the train tracks to a rather generic set with flashing lights and a giant disco ball with SOUL TRAIN written on it is used instead of the giant title on the stage. Don Cornelius is standing in front of a black wall with the title in giant orange letters. "Up On Soul Train" In 1980 in television|1980, the show switched to "Up On Soul Train", by the The Whispers|Whispers. The show opened with an a bright flash and the train is chugging toward the screen. Then the train chugs from behind the earth. Then, it chugs in a city and then toward the screen and turns right. Then the shot goes through a tunnel into space and it fades in to the studio. "Soul Train's a Comin'" For several seasons beginning in 1983 in television|1983 (starting with the 13th episode of the 1982-1983 season), the program switched to another theme created by R&B artist O'Bryan. This lesser-known theme to the program, "Soul Train's a Comin'"http://lanier2.imeem.com/music/qhqYbbih/soul_trains_a_comin_remix_1983/, had a funkier beat and a stronger bass line. The show opened with an a bright flash and the train is chugging toward the screen. Then the train chugs from behind the earth. Then, it chugs in a city and then toward the screen and turns right. Then the shot goes through a tunnel into space and it fades in to the studio. "TSOP '87" George Duke also composed a remake version of "TSOP" ("TSOP '87"). It was used from 1987-1993 (mostly throughout the New Jack Swing era). The opening sequence is a choir singing "People all over the world" with a big blue ball sparking and train tracks spin beneath it. Then it show the train's wheels are moving and the front of train with lightning bolts in the background. Then, the train chugs with a 3-D city skyline background (This is related to the theme in Season 12). The dancers are dancing following the transitions. "Soul Train '93 (Know You Like to Dance)" For the 1993-1994 season (the first without Don Cornelius as host), Soul Train gets a brand new theme: "Soul Train '93 (Know You Like to Dance)" by Naughty by Nature and Everette Harp. The opening sequence features the train chugging down the tracks while clips from Soul Train's past play in the background (with different clips each season), and then the train starts dancing and jumps out, revealing the title. The theme song also focuses on Hip Hop Soul (New Jack Swing's successor. The Soul Train set changes yet again: This time the set is a nightclub like atmosphere with the improved titles and video walls. References in popular culture *In I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988), the lead character, Jack Spade, and his ex-girlfriend have a flashback about their experience of dancing on Soul Train. They dance down the Soul Train line (to the song "Dancing Machine" by the Jackson 5) but are so terrible they knock out all the other participants. *A sequence in Charlie's Angels (2000 in film|2000) featured actress Cameron Diaz dancing on Soul Train. *In 1974 Junior Walker recorded a song called "Dancin' Like They Do on Soul Train." *The sketch comedy show In Living Color parodied Soul Train in 1990 with a sketch called "Old Train," parodying Cornelius's (and the show's) age and increasing disconnect with modern black music. *An episode in the 36th season of Saturday Night Live parodied The Best of Soul Train by advertising a collection titled The Worst of Soul Train, featuring various bizarre or spoof performances. *On the television show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1994, it is revealed that Philip proposed to Vivian on an episode of Soul Train in the 1970s. They are asked to return on a special anniversary show. Don Cornelius played himself in the episode. *An episode of The Steve Harvey Show featured Steve and some students going down a Soul Train line during detention. *At the end of the movie This Christmas the main cast danced down a "Soul Train" line to Marvin Gaye's song "Got to Give It Up" (before the credit roll). *In a 2003 Old Navy commercial, it was parodied as Cargo Train. In the ad, the dancers dance to the tune of "Boogie Fever" parody "Cargo Fever". *International Game Technology|IGT acquired the rights to create a slot machine based on the series. *The show is parodied as The Soul Mass Transit System in The Simpsons' episode Rosebud. *In the season 3 episode of The Cleveland Show titled "The Men In Me," Cleveland decides to take a trip on the 6:30 Soul Train as a starting point to go back to his roots. *In Adult Swim's Black Dynamite episode titled "Just Beat It or Jackson Five Across Yo' Eyes," the Soul Train variety show is visited by character Cream Corn. While leaving his duties of the group to see the Jackson 5, he then saves young Michael Jackson from an assassination attempt. *In 2013 French duo Daft Punk used footage from the series cleverly edited on the promo video for their release 'Lose Yourself To Dance' The show is known for two popular catchphrases: Referring to itself as the "hippest trip in America" at the beginning of the show; and for closing the program with, "...We wish you love, peace... and SOUL!" (During the Cornelius era, this phrase was also preceded by "...and you can bet your last money, it's gonna be a stone gas, honey.") Songs *Johnnie Taylor's Hit record|No. 1 hit "Disco Lady", from 1976, contains the line "Girl, you oughta be on TV... on Soul Train!" Whenever "Disco Lady" was played on rival show American Bandstand (WP), the "Soul Train" verse was conspicuously left out of the song. *The video game Streets of SimCity has a parody called Soul Transit featured briefly in the intro. *''The Simpsons'' featured a parody of the show entitled Soul Mass Transit System. *In 1974, Junior Walker recorded a song called "Dancin' Like They Do on Soul Train". *Marvin Gaye's "After the Dance" includes the line, "You were looking good on Soul Train." *Archie Bell & the Drells' "I Could Dance All Night" includes the line, "See those kids on that Soul Train show." *Aaliyah's "Back & Forth (song)|Back and Forth from 1994 contains the line "I got jazz personality, G mentality...beats of Soul Train." *Eric B. & Rakim's "I Know You Got Soul (Eric B. & Rakim song)|I Know You Got Soul", from 1987, includes the line, "Grab the mic like I'm on Soul Train." *Dennis Coffey was the first white lead act to appear on the show, performing "Scorpio" on January 8, 1972. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0845890/ *Elton John was the second white lead act to appear on the show, performing "Philadelphia Freedom" and "Bennie and the Jets" on May 17, 1975. *David Bowie refers to Soul Train twice in "Young Americans": ** "Sit on your hands on a bus of survivors/Blushing at all the Afro-Sheeners": A reference in "Young Americans" to one of the primary sponsors of Soul Train. ** "Black's got respect, and white's got his "Soul Train": A self-deprecating remark in "Young Americans" about how a white musician such as him could get on Soul Train to do blue-eyed soul (WP). *David Bowie performed "Golden Years" and "Fame" on the show on November 4, 1975. *Zapp & Roger's "In the Mix" includes the line, "Don Cornelius, Hey, Soul Train, I love to see your body talk." *Greg Phillinganes's "Lazy Nina" includes the chorus line "Back in the maze with Lazy Nina, walkin' the dog and watchin' Soul Train." *Mickey Avalon's "Jane Fonda" includes the line, "She sang on Soul Train with her friend named Jen." *The video game Wikipedia:Streets of SimCity has a parody called Soul Transit featured briefly in the intro. *A sequence in the movie Charlie's Angels featured actress Wikipedia:Cameron Diaz dancing on Soul Train. *IGT created a slot machine based on the show. *1995 Movie Dead Presidents starring Chris Tucker, Larenze Tate, classic Soul Train episodes from the 1960s-1970s are shown. Television *In the "Arthur Plays the Blues" episode of the PBS Kids Arthur cartoon series, Arthur's piano teacher, Dr. Fugue, says to Arthur after giving Arthur a second chance at piano lessons, "I have a few minutes before Soul Train." *The sketch comedy show In Living Color parodied Soul Train in 1990 with a sketch called "Old Train," parodying Cornelius's (and the show's) age and increasing disconnect with modern black music. Keenen Ivory Wayans portrayed Don Cornelius as a very elderly and forgetful host of a show that featured dancing elderly people. Participants in the "dance line" included a nurse pushing an old person in a wheelchair, the Grim Reaper and a casket being carried by pallbearers. The "Old Train Scramble Board" had the contestants attempt to "unscramble" four letters (D, E, M, R) that named the TV show Mr. Ed. The show would be mentioned again in an "All Up in the Family" (a parody of All in the Family) where a Caribbean boyfriend of Gloria's is told that he is not like "your classic American brother with your Soul Train". *A MAD sketch parodied Soul Train with the 1982 film Tron. *On the fourth season of Moesha, Security Guard (Kelvin Brown) asked Niecy, "Is Soul Train still on?" in the season premiere, "Moesha Meets Brandy", which aired in October 1998. *On an episode of Sanford and Son, Aunt Esther tells the family that she will be on television, to which Fred Sanford replies, "SOUL TRAIN!" *A Saturday Night Live sketch with Eddie Murphy playing Mr. Robinson (a spoof of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood) had a scramble board similar to that on Soul Train. The word "SCUMI" was actually a scramble of the word "MUSIC". *An episode in the 36th season of Saturday Night Live parodied The Best of Soul Train by advertising a collection titled The Worst of Soul Train, featuring various bizarre or spoof performances. *On the first-season episode of Saved by the Bell, Zack Morris pulls a prank on A.C. Slater by putting ants inside the back of his shirt. Slater gets up and moves around to get them off. The teacher replies, "Hey, this is study hall not Soul Train! *On an episode of The Cosby Show, Claire explains to the family that she will appear on television to which Cliff exclaimed "Soul Train!" *On the television show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, it is revealed that Philip proposed to Vivian on an episode of Soul Train in the 1970s. They are asked to return on a special anniversary show. Don Cornelius played himself in the episode. *''Soul Train'' was referenced in an episode of The Golden Girls. Blanche asserts that she believes that all men are created equal, but Rose disagrees and suggests that those who do not believe her should "watch a white person dance down the line on Soul Train." *In The Simpsons fifth-season episode "Rosebud (The Simpsons)|Rosebud", one of the TV shows that Mr. Burns interrupts is a parody of Soul Train entitled The Soul Mass Transit System. *As Regina was rehearsing a dance routine on an episode of The Steve Harvey Show, she told Steve that when she was younger, she told herself that she could "be that Asian girl" who danced regularly on Soul Train. (The Asian dancer, Cheryl Song, appeared in several music videos throughout the years and was one of the most popular dancers on the show.) Another episode of The Steve Harvey Show featured Steve and some students going down a Soul Train line during detention. *On the Truth commercial, actor Wesley Jonathan portrayed Shemar Moore about ammonia on a Soul Train scramble board that is on a Public Service Announcement|PSA. *The improvisational comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? once featured a game in which one of the actors pretended he was the host of Soul Train, repeatedly morphing into a "goofy white guy" and back again. *Wikipedia:Cartoon Network's Wikipedia:Dexter's Laboratory did an animated parody of Soul Train called Groove Train in the episode, "Sister's Got A Brand New Bag." *Don Cornelius played himself in an episode of Wikipedia:The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where the main characters appear on Soul Train. Cornelius also made a cameo appearance in the 1998 comedy Wikipedia:Jane Austen's Mafia!. He appears during the funeral of Vincenzo Cortino, portrayed by Wikipedia:Lloyd Bridges. Later years Don Cornelius ended his run as host at the end of the show's 22nd season in 1993, though he remained the show's main creative force from behind the scenes. The following fall, Soul Train began using various guest hosts weekly until comedian Mystro Clark began a two-year stint as permanent host in 1997. Clark was replaced by actor Shemar Moore in 1999. In 2003 Moore was succeeded by actor Dorian Gregory, who hosted through 2006. Production of first-run episodes was suspended at the conclusion of the 2005-06 season, the show's thirty-fifth, though several episodes were apparently produced for a thirty-sixth season that never aired. Instead, for two seasons starting in 2006-07, the program aired archived episodes (all from between 1974 and 1987) under the title, "The Best of Soul Train".http://www.soultrain.com/stweekly/libraryframeset.html Soul Train - Don Cornelius Productions, Inc This was because in recent years, Nielsen ratings dropped to below 1.0; however, the classic episodes seemed to revive interest in the series and received a mostly positive response. In the process, some of the stations that used to air Soul Train on Saturday afternoons started burying it to middle-of-the-night time slots.The future of "Soul Train" The future of Soul Train was uncertain with the announced closing of Tribune Entertainment's syndication division on December 18, 2007, which left Don Cornelius Productions to seek a new distributor for the program.ffd(http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/12/tribune_entertainment_ends_dis.php) Cornelius soon secured a deal with Trifecta Entertainment & Media. In May 2008, the rights to the Soul Train library were purchased by MadVision Entertainment, whose principal partners come from the entertainment and publishing fields. The price and terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, by the start of the 2008-09 television season, the Tribune-owned stations (including national carrier WGN America) that had been the linchpin of the show's syndication efforts dropped the program, and many others followed suit. Soul Train's website acknowledged that the program had ceased distribution on September 22, 2008. In a recent interview with Reuters, Cornelius said that he has no plans of reviving Soul Train's current series. He said that despite the show's success, it was time to retire the "kids dancing to music in a TV studio" format, which has been a common TV staple since the days of American Bandstand. However, he's working on numerous projects related to the show, including a Soul Train movie scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. in 2009. Books :See Wikipedia:Questlove Drummer for Wikipedia:The Roots, Ahmir Khalib "Questlove" Thompson, is due to release a book commemorating the legacy of Soul Train titled Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation, in December 2013. It reveals the remarkable story of the captivating program, with text that is paired with more than 350 photographs of the show's most memorable episodes and the larger-than-life characters who defined it: the great host Don Cornelius, the extraordinary musicians, and the people who lived the phenomenon from the dance floor. Alphabetized list of celebrities guests : See also Wikipedia:Guests on Soul Train 0-9, A B * Joe Budden C D E F G H I * Ice Cube * Ice-T * The Impressions (American band)|The Impressions * India.Arie * Luther Ingram * The Isley Brothers J K L M N O * O'bryan * Billy Ocean * The Ohio Players * The O'Jays * Omarion * Shaquille O'Neal * Jeffrey Osborne * Outkast P Q * Quad City DJs * Queen Latifah R S T U * Leslie Uggams * The Undisputed Truth * Usher (entertainer)|Usher V W XYZ * Xscape * Xzibit * Ying Yang Twins * Young Black Teenagers Non-black performers on Soul Train : See also Guests on Soul Train#Performances_by_non-black_artists The program features black singers, performers and dancers almost exclusively, although non-black artists have also appeared on Soul Train through the years, including: *Paula Abdul *a-ha *Christina Aguilera *Pretty Poison *Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass *The Average White Band *The Backstreet Boys *The Beastie Boys *Michael Bolton *David Bowie *Captain and Tennille *Cheech and Chong *Culture Club *Sheena Easton *Gary's Gang *Hall and Oates *Don Henley *The Jets (1980s pop band)|The Jets *Elton John *Joanna Noelle Levesque|JoJo *The Manhattan Transfer *Teena Marie *Michael McDonald (singer)|Michael McDonald *New Kids on the Block *Pet Shop Boys *The Romantics *Sting *Robin Thicke *The Style Council *Toshi *Frankie Valli *Gino Vannelli *Yellow Magic Orchestra *Wild Orchid (band)|Wild Orchid (featuring Fergie (singer)|Fergie) *98 Degrees References Category:1980s television series Category:1980s Category:Variety television series Category:Pop music Category:Pop music television series Category:Music television series Category:Recorded music Category:Television series Category:Music television Category:Live music Category:Disco Category:Hippy music Category:Hippy culture Category:1970s culture Category:Music Category:1970s music Category:1970s Category:1970s American television series Category:1970s television series Category:American television series Category:American music television series Category:1970s music television series Category:1970s American music television series Category:Recorded music television Category:Live television Category:Live music television Category:1980s American television series Category:Television Category:Mass media